Germany

Introduction
Germany is a huge country and it ranks second in terms of population in Europe. Politically and economy wise, Germany is strong and holds the position as a key member of Europe’s many important organizations including political, economic and security organizations. Being situated in Central Europe, Germany shares its border with countries like Denmark, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Culture wise also Germany is one of Europe’s most influential countries.

Political Overview
Germany functions as a federal republic state. The country was divided into four parts after World War II, each part controlled by French, British, US and Soviet army respectively. Germany was divided into two parts, West Germany and East Germany in 1949. West Germany included the areas that belonged to UK, US, and France, whereas East Germany was formed with the areas that were under former USSR. However, West and East Germany united on 3 October 1990 and the powers that controlled the country gave up their rights on 15 March 1991.

Geographical Overview
Germany lies in Central Europe and is bordered by North Sea and Baltic Sea. The geographical coordinates of the country ranges between 51 00 N, 9 00 E and the total area of the country is 357,022 sq km. The country has a coastline that stretches to 2389 km. Moreover, the climate of Germany is mostly temperate and marine with cloudy and wet winters. In summers, however, Germany experiences occasional warm mountain wind.

Tourism
Germany has some very beautiful cities and towns where you can explore interesting sights and scenes such as wonderful architecture, historical monuments, shopping destinations, medieval buildings, fascinating nightlife and much more. Almost every city and town in Germany possesses museums with highly intriguing artifacts, which is a must watch in Germany. In fact, Germany has over 4000 museums spread all over the country. Moreover, the romantic towns of Germany are perfect for couples to explore and to spend cozy moments.

In addition, Germany has as many as 36 places that are listed under UNESCO’s World Heritage list. These include cathedrals, historical monuments, beautiful landscapes and even an entire town.

Culture & People
The population of Germany is formed with many different ethnic groups living all across the country. These include approximately 91% Germans along with a small percentage of Turkish people along with some fraction of people of other ethnicity. German is also the official language of the country. Danish, Turkish and few other languages are also spoken by a very small fraction of people. Religion followed in Germany is Christianity with Protestants and Roman Catholics existing in almost equal ratio. However, a small fraction of Muslims and other religious groups also exist in the country.

Economy
Germany has one of the largest economies in the world and the largest in Europe. In terms of export, Germany again has one of the largest shares in the world. The various export commodities of Germany include vehicles, metals, pharmaceuticals, electric equipments, chemicals and so on. France, US, Netherlands, UK, Italy, China, Austria, Belgium, and Switzerland are the primary export partners of Germany.